


The Other Side of the Mirror

by Aro_Ace_From_Outer_Space22, Capns_scrolls



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Characters, Co-Written, F/M, Human Rayla, More tags and characters to be added, Secrets, Self-Esteem Issues, Skywing Elf Callum, Skywing Elf Ezran, reverse au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22835980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aro_Ace_From_Outer_Space22/pseuds/Aro_Ace_From_Outer_Space22, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capns_scrolls/pseuds/Capns_scrolls
Summary: On a quest to make peace between Xadia and her home, Rayla encounters a strange travel companion.Callum finds himself keeping up appearances, but he can't let his mask slip, or else he risks losing his best friend.ORA reverse AU made up by two geeks for fun. Complete with magic, angst, friendship, elves and dragons.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 42





	1. Moonrise

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this reverse AU, co-written by two nerds currently hyperfixated on The Dragon Prince.

Rayla couldn’t bear to watch, but she couldn’t look away, either.

She wished more than anything that she could run; run as far and as silently as she could. But she’d never forgive herself for doing such a thing while her friend fell victim to the blades of Moonshadow elves.

Elves who were sent on a mission.

Elves sent to kill her kings.

This was the last thing she wanted. Years of study, years of practice in the field of diplomacy, it was all for nothing. Tonight was the night it came to a halt. The night the only rickety log that led to uncertain, fog-filled peace and safety fell into the bottomless chasm below.

The receding footsteps of Terri’s murderer were her only source of consolation, even if such a trivial feeling was short-lived, she took advantage of every fragment of time at her disposal.

With no options left, she dropped down from the branches she perched herself on, and fled.

And fled.

* * *

Callum observed the moonstone in his palm. It buzzed with an arcanum foreign to his body, but plenty familiar to his mind. He’s held it before, harnessed it, but not in the same fashion or with the same ease as a Moonshadow elf.

Callum was no stranger to any form of primal magic. He was born with a deep connection to the sky, one that ran into his soul and flowed farther than he could physically reach. He knew nearly every draconic rune by heart, and almost every story of magic Xadia’s texts had to offer.

Learning stories he couldn’t read or hear of at home were difficult. Anyone would have said it was because simply he read them all, but Callum’s stubbornness drove him to lengths no one in his family or community would consider, let alone approve of. To Callum, however, the philosophy was quite simple. If he exhausted the knowledge within the borders of his home, he’d simply have to travel outward.

It took some convincing, but Sarai and Corvus were more than eager to teach the boy about other arcanums. Most of the time, it was a learning experience for them, too.

When Harrow became the only parental figure left for him, trips outside of home were tougher to come by. Magic was what caused Callum, Ezran and Harrow to lose Sarai, and the High Noble elf grew protective of his children around the subject matter. However, the kind of voyages Callum was planning to take now would be impossible to seek approval for from his stepfather.

So the young noble became a master of stealth.

It wasn’t uncommon for Callum to venture out to neighboring elven lands, and he was more or less travelling the same distance this time. The only difference was which direction he flew in. He was only travelling west instead of east, not a significant change.

His quest proved more than successful.

Callum would spend entire days in the libraries of the five kingdoms. Sometimes in villages residing outside of the Pentarchy. He learned of the humans’ history after their banishment (information scarcely reported on in Xadia). It seemed that humans knew roughly the same about elves as elves did about humans. 

It also seemed they carried similar hatred towards each other.

Callum was raised with prejudice to the human kingdoms. He was also raised with some prejudice to other elven lands, although those stereotypes were disproven to him as he journeyed into territories of other arcanums. Surely the same went for the western lands. After all, humans couldn’t be _that_ different from elves, right?

As a precaution, he fastened the moonstone around his neck. The instant the buckle sealed, the engraved moon rune glowed and sparks of light washed over his chest. It travelled upwards, downwards, sideways, enveloping his entire form in seconds. He didn’t feel any different, but to onlookers he appeared to be an entirely new person.

But if Callum was being honest with himself, having beige skin and ten fingers was strange. Even if it was an illusion, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to the sight on his body.

He had to blend in, he kept reminding himself. It was too risky.

The last rays of daylight receded beyond the horizon. It was safe for the young elf to take off into the night.

Three draconic words, and Callum took to the starlit sky. Mage wings, scarlet hair and all.

* * *

Rayla’s heart sank at the debriefing.

The high mage's apprentice bowed in front of her kings before standing stoically. “Moonshadow elves are coming, your highnesses.”

“At ease, Naimi,” one king said. “Are they armed?”

“Yes,” she replied. “They slayed lieutenant Terri in cold blood. Rayla barely escaped with her life.”

Oh, she escaped alright.

Her chest tightened with every word. She was unsure how she would untie the knot that tangled itself in her torso.

“What of the other trackers?” the second king asked.

“I’ve sent an order for retreat,” Rayla piped up. “Forgive me for interjecting, but our priority should be ensuring your safety and the kingdom’s. We’re all plenty aware of the dangers elves pose to the Pentarchy. I for one am not willing to-”

“Rayla.”

She silenced herself.

“Naimi, please excuse us.”

“Of course.” She bowed again and left the throne room.

“Forgive me, your Highnesses-”

“Rayla, it’s only us.” The first king stood up from his throne, taking cautious steps towards her. “Speak freely.”

“How are you so calm about this, Runaan?”

There was no point in asking. Rayla already knew the answer, but she didn’t want to believe it. She couldn’t. It only meant more loss. She wasn’t sure if she could bear it. Despite her silent pleas to herself and to fate, she felt her resolve unravelling. She was involuntarily preparing for the worst. A wall she never wished for was already erecting itself. Every effort to hinder it from rising left no mark. It pushed more tears back as it grew higher, ensuring the rising waters would never reach the top

Rayla released a shaking breath, and letting the tears fall to the stone floor. She looked up at the man who kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“What do you need me to do?”

“You did the right thing, having the other trackers retreat,” Ethari, the second king said. “But we still have a lot to do and not much time. The full moon is tonight.”

“It’s midday. And winter. We have a few hours at most.” Rayla added.

“I'll send the guards into the city, tell the citizens to hide and not make a sound during the night. If the elves are targeting the castle, we’ll be ready,” Runaan finished.

Rayla's heart sank even lower. Now it hurt to even beat.

“I know we’ll all have to make sacrifices for the kingdom, but there _has_ to be another way, I’m sure Nyx can-”

“We’re not involving magic, Rayla. It’s what brought us to this point.” Ethari’s voice rose with sternness. “In fact, Naimi will be given orders to cease all magical operations.”

Rayla didn’t have a response to that. She wanted to provide a counter argument, but she couldn’t bring herself to disagree with them. Magic was the roots to all of her loss, after all. She claimed to resent magic, even convinced herself the mere sight of it made her blood curdle. It was the reason she committed herself to diplomacy and tracking. Dark magic tempted her more times than she could remember. She forced herself away from it at every opportunity she had to learn from and about it, yet she always, _always_ found herself drawn back like a fragile moth to a roaring hellfire.

It made her want to kick herself for even bringing up Nyx’s magic abilities. 

“You’re right,” Rayla forced out. “You’re right,” her voice broke, betraying the stoic mask she desperately tried to uphold. ”I’m sorry, I just don't want to lose either of you.”

The two kings pulled her into a hug. The two people who took her in when no one else could. The two people she held dearest to her heart. 

The last thing she wanted was to let go.

But she did anyway.

No more words passed between the three of them. Rayla knew she couldn’t stop the inevitable. She made her leave in silence.

“Hey, you okay?” Naimi inquired as she leaned along the stone wall. She sported black-hair with green tips and had one boot crossed over the other, clad in robes similar to the high mage, but less ornate in design. An appretice.

“No, Nyx, I’m not. I’m not okay, I’m terrified. The ki- Runaan and Ethari are going to die tonight, and we're defenseless against the elves coming for them.”

“I could hear what you said. That’s why I asked.” Nyx stood up properly. “No one can ever tell what you’re feeling with your resting-Rayla-face.”

“My what?”

“And don't worry about them, there’s still time to change their minds about using magic. I already have a list of ideas to-”

“No! Nyx, just- _no!_ ” Rayla cut off. “If you heard them, then you know you can’t go against their orders. Let alone their orders specifically for _you._ ”

“They’ll thank me when they live to see another sunset.”

“And how do you intend to make that happen?”

“I...” Nyx trailed off. Rayla wasn’t surprised, but in a situation _this_ heavy it broke her heart that Nyx didn’t have a plan. Rayla stopped herself from being caught up in her anger. It wasn’t fair for her to expect Nyx to have a plan. How could she expect _anyone_ to have a plan? The full moon was tonight and time was slipping through her fingers like smoke.

“There has to be another way,” Rayla whispered to herself, forgetting for a brief moment Nyx was in front of her.

“If you give me an hour, I can come back with a list of ideas.”

“Not using magic,” Rayla seethed, pointing to the mage apprentice for good measure.

“Well, thanks for burning my list before I even got to share it.”

Rayla paced. Whispering inaudibly as her mind flashed through thoughts faster than she could track. The world around her slowly dissipated as she let her mind sweep her away. Only becoming grounded again at the sound of Nyx’s voice.

“Wanna go to a quieter place?”

Uniform footsteps were growing closer. Rayla almost forgot about the Royal Guard.

“Yeah, probably. Thanks.” Rayla followed Nyx into a secret passageway, concealed by a large portrait of an orange-haired girl.

* * *

Callum reached into his shoulder sack, retrieving a smaller pouch containing some food. He tore a piece off the cake to pop it in his mouth.

“No food in the library!” The elderly bookkeeper whispered harshly at him.

Callum nearly choked on the pastry, startled by the unexpected scolding. Callum probably would have yelped in surprise if he didn’t have food in his mouth.

“S-Sorry!” he coughed. He placed the item back into the larger sack, hoping that would deter the bookkeeper, but they only drew closer.

“Son, you’ve spent hours in here today, and stayed here all day yesterday. The last time I saw someone with her nose buried that deep in so many books, she was applying for a highly coveted position in the Katolis castle.”

“Um…” Callum wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. “Is that bad?”

“Gracious, no! It more than paid off. She got the position, and last I heard, she got all the way to the top, too!”

“She’s the queen now? I thought Katolis didn’t have one.”

The bookkeeper gave Callum a puzzling look. “No, you’re right. I meant she’s considered the best in the castle for her line of work. Probably the best the whole Pentarchy’s got, too.”

Callum chuckled nervously. “Ah… ha, yeah, that makes more sense.”

“You’re not from around here, are you, son?” they inquired.

“Yeah,” Callum admitted. “I’m planning on moving soon, so I’m learning all I can on the five kingdoms. I live in a small town near the border, so I don’t even know very much about my own kingdom.” Callum rubbed the back of his neck, hoping they would buy his backstory. It seemed plausible enough, given the knowledge of geography Callum had, even if it was somewhat limited. He did recall flying over a human village a few hours after crossing the Xadian border.

“Explains all the history texts you got there.” They inspected the spines of each book. “Looks like you got at least one for each kingdom and,” they paused, “Xadia?”

“Yeah,” Callum answered. “I find all aspects of a place’s history fascinating. How they interact with other nations, and how they perceive said interactions.”

“Not much you need to know about that place. They can’t stand us and we can’t stand them. They kicked us out for some reason and we’ll get eaten by a dragon if we try to get back. I don’t understand why, though, it’s been centuries since that happened. You’d think the dragon would get bored by now.”

“It’s not the same dragon today as it was that oversaw the humans moving westward,” Callum corrected.

“Damn right. That bastard died ten years ago.”

Callum knew that part of the story all too well. He knew how it ended, and it made his stomach twist painfully.

He cleared his throat, “I’d love to talk more, but I really should be getting back to...” Callum gestured to the books on the table in front of him.

“Oh, of course, of course. Just remember, sundown’s only a few hours away. If you’re still here by then, I’ll leave you a few candles.”

“Thank you!” Callum called after them as they began walking away to help another patron.

“And keep your voice down, boy.”

Callum frowned at that comment, muttering to himself. “Excuse you, I’m twenty-two.”

* * *

“And here I thought you wouldn’t let me use magic,” Nyx teased.

“We’re not using it the way you wanted to, Only as a last resort if the guards can’t take care of the elves. Besides, sometimes you have to break the rules to do the right thing.” Rayla hoped it was true.

“It’s not like you to go against the kings like this.”

“I know, but they can take care of themselves. And like you said, they’ll understand, eventually.”

“Uh-huh,” Nyx wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes!” she snapped. “We have a plan, and maybe can even stop a whole war.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Rayla. Yeah, tensions are high, but that doesn’t mean there’s going to be a whole war.”

“Which is why these tensions need to be settled before anything gets worse.”

“Fair point,” Nyx relented.

It wasn’t the most refined plan. It was sloppy, and had too many holes for things to fall through on, but Rayla didn’t have any better ideas. The library was empty, and Rayla gathered every book she could find about Xadia. Everything about it from history, primal magic and every elven race up to the division between humans and elves. The only information she could find from beyond that point were the types of dragons that ruled at the border since then. Not much, but every little bit helped.

“But faking your death? It’s a bit much,” she added.

“It’ll be believable, Moonshadow elves are… uh, goal-fixed. They take down obstacles in their way, not find ways around them.” Rayla pushed the books she carried into a deep sack.

“I thought they’re masters of stealth,” Nyx corrected. “Wouldn’t ‘taking down obstacles’ be, you know, not stealthy?”

“Well, they obviously wouldn’t crumble a mountain or freeze a pool of lava in their path. Even so, if they knew they were discovered, there wouldn’t be a reason for them to stay out of sight, would there?”

“But if you got away, they must not have seen you.”

“That’s not what happened, Nyx. They saw me.”

“What do you mean?”

She knew there was no point in running away. Elves were physically superior in speed and agility, her only choice was to hide. In doing so, she left her partner vulnerable. Left him for dead.

She was just lucky enough to not be seen from her hiding spot.

But the elf definitely saw her.

They knew Rayla got away.

Nyx’s eyes widened as Rayla explained it all.

“Wow, okay, um,” Nyx fumbled for the best response to that. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Don’t mention it.” Rayla forced out. “You know the plan, meet there tomorrow at midday.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you there.”

Both of them set off in opposite directions. There was much to do before moonrise, and the sun would only trickle further down the horizon.


	2. More Then Meets The Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the attack complicates things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI WE'RE BACK, life stuff and everything is not fun, but we're still real excited for this fic and can't wait to share it with you all!
> 
> This chapter was minimally beta'd, so it'll probably be updated with better revisions and edits. Any mistakes that slipped through are on me (Joe).
> 
> WARNING FOR THE CHAPTER!!! Description of injuries.

Sitting up straight proved to be a painful feat when Callum woke up with a stiff back and numb legs. He slowly raised his arms, stretching them high over his head. Without thinking, he took the cake back out of his sack, shaking the contents into his palm. He was interrupted by a familiar voice.   
  
“I thought I said no food here.”

“I’m facing away from the books this time!”

The librarian chuckled at that. “Alright, finish your snack. I’ll let it slip since we’re not open yet.” They glanced at the candleholders scattered around the desk Callum’s books were stacked upon. All were used recently, but with hardened pools of wax instead of whole candles.. “Late night, eh?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“It’s not a good idea to fall asleep all hunched over in a chair, son,” they scolded. “You got enough food to last you? That bag’s looking pretty light.”

Callum glanced at the sack. They were right, he’d need to pick up more food. “Oh, I do, but thanks for your concern.” He had enough money, at least.

“No worries. I’m done grandparenting, now about this research project of yours. I hope you don’t mind, I sent a crow to a friend of mine, she works at the largest archive library in all the kingdoms. So if what you find here isn’t satisfactory, I’d suggest checking out archives there. It’s in the heart of Del Bar, within eyeshot of the castle.”

“I think I know the place you’re talking about, and I’ve already checked it out, but I guess another visit wouldn’t hurt.”

“Why are you doing such extensive reading here when you can be in a place that’s a hundred times larger?”

“Because,” Callum paused briefly, carefully laying out his words. “Um, well, even if it  _ is  _ the largest library in the kingdoms, you have books here that are incredibly different from other libraries, even if they’re covering the same topic, they’re not the same, and something can be learned from it. Every kingdom and every town within each kingdom describes history differently. It’s fascinating!”

The bookkeeper paused, looking the disguised elf up and down as they processed the words he said. “Ah, so you’re a diplomat?”

“Excuse me?”

“A diplomat,” they repeated. “You look at everything from all angles, find out how everyone sees a situation. You know, finding compromises from that.”

“Uh, I guess you got two right.” Callum confirmed. “I’m not a diplomat. I’m an explorer.”

“Never met an explorer in my life that settled down,” the bookkeeper mused, “unless they were old like me. Or sometimes brought their kids and family along-”

“Thank you!” Callum interrupted. Nervousness filled his voice, his actions becoming equally rigid and sloppy as he picked up his books to begin putting them back. He got plenty of notes from the passages he’s read, but he’s also spent too much time here. The old bookkeeper was getting a bit too curious about him, and Callum supposed he was giving a bit too much information away. “Actually, you know what? I think I will go check out that library in Delber,” Callum might have been speaking a bit too quickly to not raise suspicion, but taking back what he said would only be more suspicious.

“Del  _ Bar _ ,” the librarian corrected. “Go ahead, son, I’ll take care of these books for you.”

“Thank you so much!” Callum ran out of the quaint building with the cake in hand.

It was well into the day as Callum stepped out into the street. The large sundial that laid in the middle of the intersecting stone-laiden roads confirmed it, the faint shadow pointing in the direction of three hours before the peak of the sun. As silly as it was, it brought a bit of a smile to Callum’s face. He’s some a long way from hiding children’s textbooks and learning the most basic parts of human culture, even down to how they measured time.

Even the tiniest bits of progress added up over time.

He made his way to a small marketplace, vendors and store owners alike lining the street, filling the air with a variety of aromas. All ranging from floral arrangements to spices, food products and countless combinations in between. Callum was having a hard time deciphering which to choose from.

He decided to settle for a little of everything. Over Callum’s multiple travels over the border, albeit he could count them all on one hand --does it count if his hand had to be under the moonstone disguise?-- , he found human food not too different from elven food. It was prepared and made similarly, sure, but the ingredients were simultaneously familiar and foreign. Although, he probably shouldn’t be terribly surprised, the flora this close to the border wasn’t too different from the flora right on the other side of it. Nevertheless, subtle differences were bound to happen, and Callum savored every bit he could and placed the rest in his sack until it was filled.

Stomach satisfied, Callum scouted out for a hidden spot to cast his Mage Wings. The clouds above were growing thick and low. Not quite enough for a storm, or even rain, but a perfect cover nonetheless.

_ “Manus, Pluma, Volantus.” _

Callum breached the clouds, soaring where he willed the wind to carry him. 

* * *

Rayla paced, her heart and mind racing, wishing she had more time.

Her kings were dead.

Runaan and Ethari.  _ Gone.  _ Overnight.

Her only choice was to wait.

“There's something you need to see.”

Rayla yelped quietly. Nyx had a habit of sneaking up on people without giving herself away. It was one of the few advantages she had upon her mentor, whose footsteps were always accompanied with a soft, yet very audible metallic  _ clink _ sound.

“Nyx!”

“Come with me.” No quip, no stupid nickname or even a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Instead, the mage’s words were laced with fear and, if Rayla dared to presume, confusion.

“Where are we going, what’s going on?” Rayla said as Nyx pulled her by the wrist.

“Not far from here, keep your voice down and hide your face. As far as everyone is concerned, I’m talking to a ghost,” Nyx whispered sternly while pulling the hood on Rayla’s cloak over the tracker’s eyes.

Right, she’s supposed to be dead. Rayla almost felt bad for the people at the castle who had to deal with her lifeless doppelganger. And Claudia, too. Rayla could hardly imagine how she was handling the ‘death’ of her friend.

Perhaps it was cruel, but Rayla couldn’t disclose her plan willy-nilly to just anybody. The less people who knew about it, the better. She would never get approval for it from any leaders or regents residing in the castle, and her subordinates would beg her for any alternate course of action. Rayla was more than aware she would get in a lot of trouble if any part of her plan was discovered, but being revoked of her position was jelly tart crumbs compared to the possibility of pulling her home away from the possibility of war.

She heeded Nyx’s words, adjusting the hood so she could see out better. Hugging her own middle, Rayla followed Nyx to a building of wood and stone. The dangling sign over the door showcasing a horse and a dog with a heart in between. A veterinarian.

What did Nyx want to show Rayla a veterinarian for?

For starters, it was nearly devoid of animals. One horse occupied a stall, it’s armor littered on the floor in front of the stable door. No doctors were in sight with the exception of a white curtain displaying silhouetted figures. Some were talking to each other, some were tending to an unresponsive one laying on a cushioned surface of some sort.

Nyx pulled Rayla towards it, grabbing attention of the talking figures when she said “I got her, give us some space, will you?”

Rayla figured out who the figures were, or rather what. Doctors. But for  _ people. _ What were they doing in an animal hospital when they very clearly had a  _ human  _ patient to treat?

The doctors left Rayla and Nyx with the patient as told, bowing slightly as they left. Rayla didn’t pay much attention to them, she lost focus on everything except for what her eyes were glued to: the patient.

It took Rayla a few moments to recognize it wasn’t just any patient.

Ethari.

“I...” Rayla felt herself crumbling, tears welled up in her eyes and she was lost for words. “I…  _ How-? _ ”

“I’m not sure,” Nyx finished for her. “He was discovered next to Runaan, but worse than this,” she gestured to the wounds that covered Ethari’s body, all cleaned and bandaged, but dark bruises patched his skin in large areas the bandages didn’t touch. His nose and eyes were bruised, and scabs formed over cuts lining his lips. His chest and stomach were bandaged, and blood soaked through the cloth tied around his head. A blanket covered his legs up to his middle, stopping just below where his elbows met his waist. “Viren managed to save the king. I told him to bring the king here to reduce suspicion.”

“And what about Runaan?”

Nyx didn’t need to say anything. Her eyes gave Rayla all the answers she needed.

“Of course,” she muttered. Honestly, what could she have expected? The elves had a mission and they succeeded, at least partially. One king was dead, the humans of Katolis just got extremely lucky that his husband survived.

“What’s that?” Rayla pointed to a cuff on Ethari’s wrist. It carried an intricate swirling pattern with a foreign rune engraved in the metal. It almost seemed alive, magic pulsed from it like a heart while the metal remained motionless.

“I’m not sure. It’s definitely enchanted because I couldn’t get it off. It was on him when he was found,” Nyx explained. “It’s not any traditional design in the kingdoms, and I don’t think it was something he was tinkering with either. We think the elves put it on him, but we can’t be certain.”

“Yeah,” Rayla said half-mindedly, her face hiding the confusion swirling in her mind. She had questions, and the more she thought about the events from the night before, the less sense everything made. Her kingdom was responsible for the fall of the only ruler of dragons, leaving them without a ruler. Why still leave the kingdom with one? Whether it was dumb luck or something else, something about Ethari still being here,  _ alive, _ wasn’t right.

A pained groan left the royal’s lips. He appeared as if he was trying to move, but every shred of effort was too painful to muster. 

Rayla called out “Help! Someone help him, he’s in pain!”

The four doctors rushed past the curtain in seconds. Rayla knew the best course of action was to leave Ethari with the doctors, so she did, despite the sight of agony that clearly wracked his body tempting her to stay with him until he recovered.

Gods, she was tempted.

Stop the war, she told herself, keeping it in the forefront of her mind. Stop the war. Stop the war. Stop the war.  _ Stop the war. _

“Let’s continue this outside.” It was Rayla’s turn to pull Nyx by the wrist. They walked, searching until they found a dead street end. Just three walls and an empty road. Perfect.

“Set up a barrier.”

“Are you sure? You’re usually not-”

“There’s too much at stake. Just do it,” Rayla said, rigid and stonelike.

Nyx obliged. She withdrew two boxes from the ornate shoulder sack hanging from her shoulder. One carried a Xadian moonmoth and the other held the eye of an animal Rayla didn’t recognize. Frankly, she didn’t want to ask what it was or how the High Mage managed to get it. She didn’t turn away fast enough, catching a glimpse of the specimen. It was shriveled and the pungent smell filled her nose quickly. Rayla wondered how it was even any good for magic, or at the very least not preserved better, but didn’t question it. Nyx knew far more about magic than she did.

Nyx plucked the wings off the moth, letting them fall gracefully to the stone road. She proceeded to crush the rest of its body, letting the remains drip onto the eye.

_ “Reah lliw enon, ees lliw enon,”  _ Nyx chanted lowly. Rayla saw her surroundings blur, the world reduced to moving blobs of color and low, inaudible whispers. The only exception being Nyx, who remained perfectly audible and in focus.

The eye in the mage apprentice’s hand turned to a thick cyan liquid. It dripped down unnaturally, as if it had a mind of its own. The spell turned into glowing specks as the spell swirled downwards, hovering near Nyx’s boots instead of touching the ground.

“ _ Htap siht nihtiw,”  _ Nyx slowly recited the second part of the spell as she walked around Rayla, each step she took leaving a deep purple footprint in the road. When Nyx closed her path, the spell was sealed. A large gust of wind accompanied a burst of color. Nyx’s eyes returning to their usual, glassy appearance.

* * *

Callum lost count of how long he let the wind carry him. He loved hovering with the clouds, besides the refreshing winds that washed over him whenever he reached these altitudes, it reminded him of home. As a kid, he wanted nothing more than to be as high as the clouds were, a deep, instinctual part of him certain that that was the best place to be.

His instincts certainly did not fail him. It took longer than Callum would like to admit, but he realised the reason why he enjoyed simple things like being up high. It wasn’t just to feel the wind in his hair or on his skin. It wasn’t simply because of the breathtaking views. It was more than to catch his breath.

It was all because of the sky.

The sky that was always there, no matter what time of day or year. The sky that made him feel the most at home. The sky that was vast and neverending, despite no one being able to detect it with any physical senses.

Callum beat his wings against the air and took a deep breath.

Something was wrong.

Very,  _ very  _ wrong.

There was magic in the air, no doubt, but this kind was predatory. It sought him out, clung to him, and sapped his energy steadily. He lost altitude with every flap of his wings, the dark gray clouds wouldn’t cover him much longer. He had no choice but to land.

Callum put all of his effort into regaining his balance, knowing full well he was as ungraceful as a baby bird learning to fly. He managed to land on the frozen grass, lucky enough to not have been injured beyond a scrape and a small coldburn. His wings were stiff and pained him to fold, so he undid the magewing spell.

Standing up to observe where he landed, Callum felt his stomach drop. He landed right outside the wall that bordered a town.

It was far too close of a call for Callum’s liking. No one was around, though. He held out hope he was in the clear.

* * *

Rayla heard a noise. A faint crunching, like walking on frosted grass. Far too vivid to have come from outside the barrier.

Somehow, someway, someone could hear them on the other side of the wall.

Rayla turned away, walking towards it to investigate, the world regaining clearance when she stepped out of the barrier. 

“What-?”

She made a shushing gesture towards Nyx, then mimed boosting someone up when she stood next to the wall. Nyx obliged, locking her hands for Rayla to jump from. Rayla climbed until she could peak over the top.

Nobody was within her eyeshot, but something still nagged at Rayla that someone was there. 

She straddled the wall when she reached the top, looping a rope around her hands and dropping the rest towards Nyx, who quickly grasped it and climbed to join her.

Together, they observed the forest edge, catching sight of fresh footprints in the frost.

Rayla hopped down, breaking her own fall with expertly trained ease. Careful to place her steps within the footprints and without a sound, she followed the trail with Nyx doing the same. Rayla unsheathed her daggers from the hidden pockets in her boots while Nyx held out her palms, ready to perform any spell necessary.

The trail led them to a young man crouched beneath a thick tree, appearing a bit sick.

“Who are you and what have you heard?” Rayla spoke sternly.

The young man jumped, startled by her words. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Tell me the truth,” Rayla replied. As if on cue, Nyx conjured a sphere of light in her hand. Countless colors swirled within it, holding the frightened gaze of the young man.

“Where did you come from?”

“I fell,” The sphere gave no reaction.

“From where?”

“Uh,... the sky?”

Rayla frowned. “Do you expect me to-?”

“Actually...” Nyx interrupted. Rayla glanced towards the sphere, it lit up with the colors of honesty.

Rayla was confused, but she didn’t have time to press on about that. “How much of our conversation did you hear?”

“I didn’t even know you two were anywhere near me,” the man admitted, the sphere unwavered from its miasma of blue hues. “I got dizzy, lost my balance and fell. I came here to recover and next thing I know, you guys are questioning me. If you’re talking about something confidential, I swear to you I heard nothing about anything you were talking about.”

Nyx dissipated the sphere. His sentiment checked out.

Rayla lowered her weapons. Nyx, on the other hand, reached around Rayla, plucking a hair from the man’s head, ignoring his soft wince of pain, “I believe you. We’ll let you go, but if I catch you doing  _ any  _ shady stuff in our borders again, I  _ will  _ find you.”

Rayla shot a dark glare towards Nyx for those words, the mage just ignored it. The young man looked as scared as he did confused.

Rayla cleared her throat. “I’m not letting you go yet, but I do believe you.” Rayla’s brain shifted gears to her other field of expertise. Diplomacy. “My name is Rayla,” she extended her hand. 

The man took her hand. “Callum,” his voice strained as he took her hand and pulled himself up, his loose clothes damp from melted frost.

“Forgive my bluntness, but you don’t look so good.”

“I’m not sure what came over me,” Callum said. “One minute, I’m fine. The next, I can barely fl-,” he stumbled, catching his near-slip, “flippin walk.” That was too close for his liking.

“Has this happened to you before?” Rayla asked.

“I guess? I mean, I’ve gotten sick quickly before, but this time? It-it feels different. Like, something-”

“Drained you?” Nyx finished.

“Y-Yeah, exactly.”

“First time caught in dark magic, huh?”

Callum’s face fell. “Dark magic?”

“Yep. Some spells have a kind of ‘pulse’ to them, and some people who are sensitive to it don't handle it as well as others. Don’t sweat it, though, the first time’s always the worst. You should try  _ casting  _ one sometime,  _ whew _ that effect is powerful if you don't brace yourself.” Nyx rambled.

“Yeah,” Callum chuckled awkwardly.

“Hey, you did better than me,” Rayla tried to reassure, pulling one of his arms over her shoulder slowly, giving him time to pull back. When he didn’t, in fact he seemed to welcome the gesture, Nyx supported him under his other arm to help him get into the town.

Rayla found it odd that Callum wore a sleeveless tunic. Even with a cloak, it was far too cold where they were to go without an arm cover of some sort. The only stranger thing about his appearance besides the impractical attire and the odd tattoos on his arms was his red hair.  _ Too  _ red, if Rayla had to be honest. She’s seen people dye their hair all sorts of colors. Nyx herself had quite the extensive history of various hair colors, but no one Rayla had ever encountered were able to achieve the blinding hue on top of Callum’s head.

“We must get you to a doctor so you can rest, at least,” Rayla insisted.

“No, I’m alright,” Callum insisted, his voice growing drowsy and laced with delirium **.**

“I could just heal him,” Nyx offered, “It wouldn't take long, there’s tons of simple spells for an upset stomach, body aches, energy-”

“If he can’t handle magic well, I don’t think more magic is going to make it better,” Rayla said. “Let’s get him some help, it’s the least we can do for him.”

“I’m not hurt, I’m okay, really,” Callum reasoned weakly.

Rayla ignored his words. He was exhausted, clearly took a tumble, and accidentally got caught in a spell. Whether Callum wanted it or not, he needed medical attention.

Rayla and Nyx brought him into a small hospital. Callum remained there for the rest of the day, only to be discharged that evening, right before sunset. Rayla wasn't quite sure what the nurses did or said to him, but she found herself with more time to refine her plan. The more time she spent thinking and discussing with Nyx, the more fearful she became, although it came out more akin to frustration.

Rayla was used to thinking on the fly, it was a crucial ability in diplomacy and tracking, but ‘thinking on the fly’ wasn’t a plan, only a last resort when the plan fell through. Every mission in either line of her work required a plan, but she also had insurance. Diplomats had an almost excessive amount of guards protecting them on their missions. Trackers could take care of themselves when dealing with criminals or seeking out information, and always had a back-up plan or two.

Unlike those missions, there was never a possibility of encountering violent elves, dragons or bloodthirsty monsters.

The fear of dying was never near the forefront of her mind.

She knew the geography of her kingdom and the best paths of the neighboring ones like the back of her hand, but she’d never stepped foot into Xadia.

She would be walking into darkness.

* * *

Callum walked into the waiting area of the hospital. A woman in a hooded cloak made eye contact with him. Although he didn’t get a good look at her face, he still recognized her.

“Rayla, right?” Callum asked as he walked to where she sat. He thought he remembered her mentioning it was her name, but he was pretty out of it at their first encounter.

“That’s right,” she replied calmly. Almost too calmly, as if she was feigning it.

“I’m surprised to see you’re still here. I mean, I know you brought me here, but you didn’t have to stay and wait,” Callum said.

“I told Nyx to cast that spell. It harmed you. If I didn’t stay to ensure you were alright, what kind of person would I be?”

“A hardworking one, probably with better things to do than help a stranger,” Callum paused, reprocessing what she said before. “Nyx? Is that the woman who was with you?”

“Yes. I don’t exactly agree with her line of work, but she uses her abilities for the right reasons.  _ She  _ is a hardworking person who I respect immensely. Unfortunately, she had other matters to attend to. Otherwise, she would have stayed as I did. As for me, I-” Rayla trailed off. She refused to give too much away, but she was unsure if it was to protect her mission or to protect herself from the embarrassment of rambling to a stranger.

“I think you mean ‘whom’.”

“Sorry?”

“She’s a hardworking person  _ whom _ you respect immensely,” Callum corrected.

“I wasn’t aware I was talking with the Grammar Guardian,” Rayla huffed playfully, crossing her arms.

Callum couldn’t restrain his quiet laugh. “Sorry, but good grammar is important when it comes to being a professional negotiator, isn’t it?”

“I-” Rayla was almost lost for words, “I didn’t...”

“Your cloak gave it away,” Callum offhandedly gestured to the intricate golden embroidery, the pattern reserved for diplomats, so authorities knew they weren’t a threat.

“Come on,” Rayla loosely pulled him outside by the sleeve. “You’re not helping me lower my suspicion of you, Callum. If that’s even your name.”

“I assure you, that’s my name,” he said. “And yeah… I guess I have a tendency to do that.”

“What do you mean?”

Callum usually felt his skin run cold about now. Didn’t he just give a little too much information away? “Uh,” he paused. “I’m planning to move here soon and I’m trying to understand… well, everything. The food, the history, how it’s taught, the culture in general-”

“If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?” Callum opened his mouth to talk, but Rayla cut him off, “and before you say a word, I’d rather hear you say you don’t want to answer my question than to hear a lie.”

Callum processed her words and formed his next response. “Far,” he answered, which wasn’t technically untrue. “But I travel a lot, so I guess I don’t really  _ live  _ anywhere?” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I try to fit in to the places I visit by learning as much as I can about them before and during visits, too. It’s how I recognized your cloak and what the style and design means.”

“I’m a little bit put off and a little bit impressed,” Rayla admitted.

“I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, Rayla, I’m sorry if I did,” he paused, “or… am.”

“Look who’s got the weird grammar now,” Rayla stated.

“Hey, cut me some slack, I just got out of the hospital.” Callum replied with the same tone as Rayla’s, maybe with a hint of light-hearted mockery. “Thank you again for that by the way.”

“Don’t mention it,” Rayla said.

Callum’s mind immediately flashed to the stories he’s heard about humans. Many elves in his community have told him how they were driven by greed and power and had no mercy for elves, dragons or innocent creatures, magical or not. They were repeated to him over and over again, but he was always taught to never judge character on appearance or words alone. It never made sense to him, and now he had proof of the opposite.

Maybe, just maybe, if he ever told her what he was, she would see that elves weren’t to be feared either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I give Rayla and Callum an argument about grammar yet I am confused by 90% of it myself because THAT makes sense." -Joe

**Author's Note:**

> Some characters we are not going to switch in this AU (certain canon elves will remain elves and some humans will stay human.) The fandom's favorite himbo for instance. :)
> 
> We have a lot of ideas for how things are gonna play out differently in this AU, including some young Callum and Ezran interactions.
> 
> Any questions, feedback or constructive criticism? Feel free to leave a comment!


End file.
